Rainy Donuts With a side serving of life and death

Huntress

A small breeze blew, a rare occurrence in this dark, gloomy alleyway. Encased between hulking backs of giant buildings, the sun had no chance to bask the grimy asphalt that formed the ground under. Strips of rusty metal line the floors, both covering and exposing the electrical systems under at the same time. Used syringes line the corners, remnants of a failed form of enhancement.

Welcome to Pyrhos.

Although a hot spot for activities dealt on the wrong side of the law, this time it was not your average criminal or wastrel. Under a flickering blue neon backdoor sign lies a corpse of a rugged man. He was faced down on the ground, arms spread out, mouth still gaping in terror. The skin was pale, a ghostly white hue tinged with icy crystals formed around his entire silhouette. The man was frozen alive.

The cadaver before her a clear confirmation of her target, Elysande knelt down on one knee, carefully scanning the scene with her eyes, and listening intently to every drop of water or rustle in the shadows. A specter is not an easy hunt.

Entities of hatred and anger, specters are often concentrated energies of the deceased who have not come to terms with their passing, largely due to traumatic events that were never resolved in their waking lives. The mental imagery formed by the mind just before death defines the permanent appearance of a specter, which fuses with the ley energies that entered the world during the Cracking. Far from ghosts, specters have no intent- A specter is merely such, a residue of energy.

Spectres are apparitions which are extremely agile, able to cover short distances very quickly and unexpectedly. Their most dangerous asset - absolute subzero temperatures brought on by the pure condensed ley energy that forms the apparition.

Elysande knew the spectre was around. The victim was still fresh. Her ley detector beeped as it picked up a large trace of energy residue. A seasoned huntress, Elysande knew exactly what to do. She flipped the lid off a small vial of liquid, and doused the residue with it. The liquid latched onto the energy flakes, and a variety of colours formed. It was a heat map of sort, which pointed her in the right direction of her mark.

The huntress was well prepared. Clad in a dark black and blue combination of light Sylon armor plating and flexible pads, her custom designed battle wear resembled something more of a sports attire than an armour set. State of the art weapons were brought to the field, from a pulse rifle to specialised tools, Elysande planned her equipment well against her current foe.

The apparition shrieked, a haunting ear-piercing sound that echoed off the quiet brooding walls and corners of the alley. Its form was unmistakable. A ghastly blue figure resembling a tall human with a distorted face.

Elysande slowly approached her target, keeping as close to the residue trail as much as she could. She knew that the best way to sneak up on a spectre was to follow its trail. The ley energies are attracted to heat, and a cold trail is effective cover for approach.

One... two... three... In perfect paces, the huntress struck. The first shot out of her pistol lit the scene, a loaded bullet coated in anti-ley energy, dark matter. The initial blitz moment was a success, as the bullet pierced through the apparition's torso. A splat of blue exploded from the apparition, the reaction of ley energy and its anti- a beautiful concoction. As the luminescent sparks of blue glittered into the void, Elysande stood vigilant. Specters don't happen by chance.